Black teas make the overwhelming majority of the local production. These teas, with the exception of the highest leaf grades (labelled usually as FBOPF ex.sp. or Spider Leaf Tea), show rather considerable unification of the treatment process, that is why it is possible to speak about the typical taste of Ceylon tea, characteristic by its slight earthy astringency, delicate floral tone or more rarely honey sweetness and a strong, uncommutable aroma, even though there are some differences caused by the altitude or the location of a plantation. Of course there are some exceptions to this rule, especially high-mountain teas from the Nuwara Eliya Province, that are less fermented with a fresher infusion, often with a pleasant complex of greener tastes, but always with an uncommutable, typically high-mountain character. The highest grades of the high-mountain leaf teas have a typical distinctively honey-sweet taste, similar to the famous Chinese Keemun tea, while the leaf is dark, needle-like rolled, tiny, with a high ratio of wiry silver tips.
Recently also green Ceylon teas have been increasingly produced, however, their quality is usually low, with acrid and harsh taste. More rarely green Ceylon teas of good to very good quality are found. A Ceylon production speciality is white tea, labelled as Silver Tips, that represents a local variety of Chinese Yin Zhen tea, reminding it by its look as well as quality.
